UNCLE!!!!

Honestly, there are days when I just want to "say Uncle" and run for cover.

More like shout Uncle, and hide under the covers.

It's as though I forget that I am the adult in the house,

and let my toddler put me in an arm bar until I submit to his will.

Yesterday was just such a day, in part responsible for my absence online.

You probably don't want to know what I would have had to say last night...

But today, with some time to think, and this incredibly angelic face smiling cheerily at me all day,

giving the dutiful, "Yes, Mommy," whenever prompted, 

happily asking for seconds on his Herbalife shake,

and coming to me with his arms up asking for an "iss" (kiss), 

let's just say that I've regained some perspective and can look on the prior day's drama with a bit of humor.

As it happens, there is quite a bit of speculation as to the origin of 

the above cry of desperation.

You probably don't care to get online and do any research,

but since I was interested, I bet you are, too,

so let me summarize for you what Michael Quinion, of World Wide Words,

has for us on the subject of "say Uncle".

While some speculate that it comes from a Latin cry used by Roman children, there doesn't seem to be any explanation for why these ancient children needed help from their uncles in the first place...

Although I certainly cried uncle a few times while studying Latin,

I think there is a more interesting approach.

I wish, at this moment, that I was incredibly witty and could thereby craft an entertaining and lighthearted story for your amusement, revealing to you the long held secret of the first person to "say uncle".  I had a friend in elementary school who wrote a short story on the first person to "get the willies", and have secretly envied her skills in fiction for years now...

Alas, becoming a grown-up has placed even more limitations on my imagination, and all I can give you are the facts, such as Mr. Quinion describes them to be.

Apparently, our American idiom is actually drawn from a joke in a British periodical.

A young girl gives her uncle a parrot, promising that it's quite a verbal bird and will impress the uncle's friends. (In my opinion, if he needed a talking parrot to be impressive, perhaps he should have just spent his time becoming more interesting in his own right... but I digress).

One evening, with his friends, the man attempts, unsuccessfully, to get the bird to say, "Uncle," finally shouting at the uncooperative bird ,"Say UNCLE, say UNCLE," while wringing its neck and angrily throwing it into a pen with ten chickens.

Later, filled with remorse and guiltily approaching the pen to remove what he assumed would be the dead body of his niece's parrot, he was shocked to find nine dead chickens strewn about the pen, and the parrot standing over the remaining chicken, wringing its neck, shouting in monotone, "Say UNCLE, say UNCLE!"

...

So there you have it.

Who knew that the childish epithet shouted during arm wrestling matches could have such macabre origins?

And no, I did not say uncle. I finished the day, gave him a bath, and

"said bedtime".

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your healthy active kids, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can have another reason to smile!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

It starts tomorrow!

Alrighty, that was an amazingly yummy extended weekend!

As you can see, I wasn't particularly focused on rigid calorie control,

and while I had my Formula 1 Sport Chocolate shake every morning,

I did also manage to fully satiate my 

bacon cheeseburger and chocolate cravings... 

Today, as I tried to clean up the mess which was created by the three of us having been away from home for the weekend

(yes, you read that right... Being away led to a huge mess...),

I had my shake and tea, and a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats for a rushed lunch...

And a hurried dinner of the same cereal.

Sooooooooo...

I obviously have to get serious by tomorrow morning or it's gonna be 15, not 7, pounds that need to be lost!

So here's the plan -

Start every day with Herbalife Tea Concentrate, so so yummy and energizing!

Breakfast: Herbalife Formula 1 Sport shake with 2% milk and fruit, Herbalife tablets

Snack: Oatmeal with 1tsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp raisins

Lunch: Herbalife Formula 1 Sport shake with 2% milk and fruit, Herbalife tablets

Snack: Baby carrots and 1 egg

Dinner: Lean protein, veggies, whole grains 

That last one will be the toughie, being prepared with a healthy dinner for our family...

But I will prevail!

Do you want to join me?

Email me ASAP for your Herbalife nutrition program, funfitnutrition@gmail.com, let's do this together!

Oh, and to my reader in Poland (Google stats assures me that you read nearly every post...),

and any other country reading, I can send your programs there, no problem, 

Herbalife gives me the freedom to send products to over 90 countries.

Let's lose!

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share your healthy food choices, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can motivate each other!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

Lose 7 pounds

Alrighty, it's time.

Six months after Little Man was born, I had lost 37 pounds. After another month, I had lost 42 pounds.

Then January was over...

 After which I was pregnant for 13 weeks...

 After which I unexpectedly was no longer pregnant...

After which I've spent 12 weeks getting emotionally and physically back to "normal", 

whatever that means for moms of toddlers and pastor's wives...

So now, it's time.

This is a simple challenge, but nearly every mom I know has something she wishes she could change about her body. I don't mean the genetic stuff, like, 

"Oh to have long legs or narrow hips"...

Like I've said before, I have arms like a 17 year old boy,

and I will never have long legs because I am 5"5' and particularly ordinarily built...

And I've accepted that, so I will not complain about the way I'm naturally built.

This not a challenge to see who can complain the most about her genetic code.

This is a challenge to face that one thing that IS within your power to change,

and to do something about it.

For me, I just want to lose 7 pounds.

Nothing huge, just to fit into that pair of jeans I liked so much and wore for the month when they fit...

Maybe you've always wished you were stronger.

Perhaps your goal is to have more definition in your waist.

Many moms I know just want to lose the baby weight from 3 years ago that no longer has

a legitimate excuse for hanging onto their waists...

Some are at their happy weights but just want to feel healthier, maybe have a reason to not eat bagels for breakfast every day...

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I am not trying to lose those 7 pounds this weekend.

This is a "girls' weekend", and I will enjoy all in moderation.

But come Tuesday, I'm serious.

I even have the meal plan written down.

Of course, I will have 2 Herbalife Formula 1 shakes a day.

I would be happy to put together a meal plan for you, too,

no matter your goal.

I coach people for a living, so feel free to ask any questions.

September is the month to face your challenge, and win.

 I'm excited -

anyone want to join me?

Feel free to email me at funfitnutrition@gmail.com,

and let's put together a program for you to meet your goal.

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share your "before" photos, and tag them

#movementofmoms so that we can be more motivated than ever to join your journey!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

They're just adorable

There are days when being a mom just makes me smile.

Sure, not the entire day is spent in giggles and grins, 

but oh my, it can be so happy.

This afternoon, while preparing some Thai curry chicken and veggies,

I heard Little Man behind me giggling, "Wheeeeee"...

Why the odd frog pose, you ask?

He was pushing himself backward, moving in circles around the kitchen floor.

All the while, he determinedly held onto his Herbalife shake,

taking occasional "shake breaks" to reenergize for another round of 

confused froggy crawling.

When he looked up at me, I was the recipient of the most affectionate smile I've ever seen.

Oh oh oh, I still can't put into words what that look did to my heart.

But I don't have to.

You're a mom, you know what I mean.

It didn't matter that he was waving and calling out "Bye bye", 

my heart was hearing, "Mommy, I love you more than the whole world. Every day you make me happy to be alive. You are the best. And that Thai curry chicken smells amazing, I promise to LOVE it!"

And in fact, he did eat a bite of the chicken.

Just one, but that was enough to keep me smiling.

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your happy moments, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can have another reason to smile!
Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

In the cabinet

So if you have wondered how I decide what to post each evening, five evenings a week, here's my secret:

I write about whatever Little Man inspires with his antics throughout the day.

Take today, for example.

Not our easiest day.

One of those days that even my Herbalife Happy Tea can't reset.

Twelve grueling hours putting it right in my face that I find my sense of personal worth 

in how an 18 month old handles his emotions in public.

Absurd. Who would wrap up her entire identity in the self control of a toddler?!?!

You laugh. But I bet you do it too...

And I laugh, because even writing it down helps me remember that it's a choice I make every minute of these long days, which means that it's a choice that I can stop making.

What really made me chuckle, though, is that Little Man totally stole my idea for how to handle our evening.

This is how I caught him when I turned around while prepping 

a new seasoning recipe for tonight's dinner of freshly caught trout...

 He hid in the cabinet.

I promise that I didn't put him in there! And that terrified look on his face is because I caught him in the act, not because he's afraid of getting stuck in the cabinet. He actually loves being in the cabinet. 

He insisted on closing the door himself, hence the picture with that blur of white in the top right.

His fingers.

Don't worry, I helped him get out of the cabinet.

And I didn't go hide, either.

Hubs came home. We ate trout. We took a walk. Little Man got a bath, and squirmed and wriggled his way through a full body application of Elimite lotion (another long story...).

We sang. We prayed. We kissed him goodnight.

WE MADE IT!

Little Man is officially in bed. The door is closed. In 11 hours, we will start another day.

But for right now, I get to refocus. 

I get to remember that my emotions don't have to mimic the various levels of childishness being played out by my side in the ongoing drama of our day.

So, as you can see, I don't often lack ideas when wondering what to say to you each evening.

Little Man keeps me, shall we say, inspired.

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your inspirational little ones, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can have another reason to smile!
Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

Love is a funny word

In the English language, a mom can "love" her children,

and a mom can "love" hot dogs.

Same word.

So, I can love my adorable Little Man, and today make the new discovery that I love SavMor for its amazing, kid friendly grocery carts... 

This guy was wheelin' all over the store, 

thinking he was in absolute control of our outing, 

while I happily strolled through the dairy section to grab our 

eggs, cheese, milk, etc.

Which I also happen to love...

I love the smile he gets when he is having a new adventure, and I love that the steering wheel on his "car" has no effect on the direction of said car.

I love that when he is waking up from a nap he cries out for "Mommy", and I love that when I put him down for a nap and he is resisting with that same cry, I can make the executive parental decision to not listen because he really does need to go to sleep, and will, if I stay strong and leave him be!

Basically, the English language has been crafted to allow us to express equal enthusiasm for things both profound and trivial, to have strong feelings for silly things, and to give a word many meanings based on our intonation.

Hence, I can unabashedly proclaim that I LOVE the red licorice from Trader Joe's (every healthy mom needs a few vices, right?), 

and yet you know that using "love" to describe my joy over biting into this red, fruity, waxy goodness does not minimize the impact of saying I love my Hubs.

That clear, here are some other things I love.

Camping

Black licorice

Beef jerky

Raspberry Herbalife tea concentrate

Circuit training

Getting a massage

Louisa May Alcott novels

Western movies

Herbalife Formula 1 Sport Chocolate 

Oh, and of course let's not forget those little things like my husband, our son, Jesus Christ my Savior, our  delightful family, seeing lives changed as a health coach, etc...

It's actually an interesting exercise in gratitude to consider what you love and why. And while my short list is of course mostly silly, it has prompted me to remember that I have been given an incredible gift:
the ability to take pleasure in the small things of life. 

Don't neglect that gift as you go to bed, or go about your day.

Revel in the pleasure of loving bubble gum or ear plugs or good deodorant.

And if you need something new to love, to spark that "delight" impulse,

send me an email (funfitnutrition@gmail.com) so you can get your own Formula 1 shake.
Just an idea...

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share the things you love, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can have another reason to smile!
Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

Peaches and cream

Today did not start out as planned.

And it turned out to be much better than I had expected!

I slept in, an amazing gift made possible by my wonderful husband staying home a little longer today to watch Little Man and let me wake up "naturally",

 as opposed to the electronically prompted reveille which normally rouses me...

Since he was going to be home a little longer, I decided to take further advantage of his kindness and draw a hot bath, to be enjoyed with my Herbalife tea and devotional book for moms.

Oddly enough, I was reading in it yesterday about interruptions being a reminder from God to worship Him...

As I started the bath water, I remembered something that I needed in our bedroom.

Prompted by a call from Hubs, I returned to find Little Man seated, 

clothes and all, in the slowly filling bathtub.
Apparently, he has developed some expert, though unsafe, climbing skills.

I felt my heart fall apart, tempted to be completely overcome with fear and guilt.

We will now be closing the bathroom door at all times, and making sure Little Man has some clarity as to the fact that bathtubs are not for play unless a parent is present.

The wonderful Hubs had also very kindly started a load of laundry,

which meant that by 3 inches deep, my bath water started running cold.

Needless to say, a 3 inch deep bath, after the immediately prior scare with Little Man,

was not the blissful fifteen minutes of peace for which I had been hoping.

As I was blow drying my hair, Little Man came wandering into our bathroom holding my keys (the forbidden toy), face smeared with a mystery orange substance.

After a surprisingly peaceful transferring of the keys to Mommy's hand, I reached in for a sniff.

Peaches!

With a chuckle and a shake of the head, I cautiously approached the kitchen, unsure of how I would discover the beautiful flat of peaches purchased yesterday and foolishly placed on the table, within reach of the toddler...

Fortunately, only two had been attacked by the childish munchies.

And yes, if you look closely, that is what you think it is, nestled among the peaches. 

No, I don't know why Little Man had it, nor why he decided that it belonged with the fruit.

Anyhow...

You've heard the phrase, 

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"?

How 'bout, "When your day starts with peaches.

make peaches and cream!"

Today became an absolutely beautiful day...

I was given a gift certificate for a massage, and today was the perfect day to cash in that chip.

Not only that, but the giver also babysat Little Man.... AND took us out to a lovely lunch to celebrate friendship. The massage was fantastic, to say the least. The lunch was scrumptious. The company was unparalleled. But above all, the moments to stop and consider the value of friendship were priceless.

Today, I needed help. I needed my husband to reassure me that God is caring for our child and that he trusts me as a mom. I needed my friend to provide an hour's relief so that I could clear my head and pray as someone rubbed away the physical tension. I needed conversation and perspective. 

I needed help, and it was provided. My first inclination is always to remove myself from assistance, to "go it alone". Which would have left today as a flat of half eaten peaches...

But I was given help. Peaches are cream is so much better!
Now maybe you don't have a network of people reaching out to help you on your tough days.
This story is not meant to celebrate the help given to me at the cost of discouraging you.
This is meant to be an invitation.
I would love to be part of your support team. Obviously, I can't be right there with you to pay for a massage or babysit. But I would love to hear your story. I would love to connect, encourage, and equip you with some "cream" to enhance the day's peaches... I mean it.
Tomorrow, Friday August 22, at 9 am Pacific time, I will be on a conference call line, and would love to connect if you have a few minutes. Just dial 559-726-1300, and use the access code 761373#.
You don't have to "go it alone".

Choose help.

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, document your moments of help, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can remember to help and be helped!
Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.